In Blizzard’s next shooter Overwatch , they don’t want to overdo it with the proportions of the women. It should be a game for everyone: The female characters should not be overly sexualized.
It had already been on the horizon. A few months ago, there were two discussions about sexism that at least involved Blizzard. In both topics, they showed dedication and concern. First, the “No women at Hearthstone tournaments” issue, and then the accusation from the community that the female characters at Blizzard are not exactly prominent, narratively rather dull, and mainly stand out due to their revealing clothing. Back then, they assured that they wanted to depict female characters more strongly in the future and removed a small jab at feminism in Hearthstone.
No doubt, Blizzard has matured, many are married, have children by now, and have developed a sense for the role they play. And the times have changed: games are no longer an exclusive thing for teenage boys. Even in Overwatch, the new shooter, they want to ensure that every player feels represented. No matter if man, woman, robot, or gorilla.
Dad, why are they all wearing swimsuits ?
Chris Metzen, the franchise coordinator from Blizzard, recounted at a press conference at Blizzcon how he watched an old World of Warcraft cinematic with his daughter until she asked: “Daddy, why are they all wearing swimsuits?” “Uh, sweetie,” Metzen replied, “I don’t know either.”
Today, we have arrived at a time when gaming is a phenomenon for everyone. Everyone, whether boy, girl, man, or woman, wants to find themselves in the games. And Blizzard wants to make games for everyone; that should become part of the Blizzard brand, the DNA of the company. There is still much room for improvement, but especially in Overwatch, they have ensured that female characters are not overly sexualized. They now treat the topic very carefully, according to Metzen.
Blizzard wants the female characters in Overwatch to be tough and kick-ass. That’s what they want from every character.
By the way … we discovered another image from the new shooter:
League of Legends also recently dealt with a very similar phenomenon.
What our dedicated succubus Cortyn thinks about the topic of sexism in games, you can read here: Sexism in MMORPGs – Absurdity in decisions and body proportions
